Can atheists go to Heaven?

[Xarithis]

They go to Hell, as stated by the oldest theologians who answered the question.

It's unfair, yes.

Yes, I have heard such from a few overzealous family members. But I reject the notion that the Abrahamic God is so malevolent(If he is, why worship him? Out of fear? That seems to completely contradict the concept of a loving god that many advocate). I also reject the notion that the bible is completely accurate and literal. I'm still going to look through the books, though, to make my own interpretation. Besides, it's a good read - all sorts of epic battles and events and family trees.

[Greater Tezdrian]

Ba'al Hadad's .

But, back to the thread. No, atheists cannot go to heaven. Because they don't beleive i nhaven. So, none of the gods will take them, and they will be extinguished. The JCI God regulates his followers and where they go after they die. So does, Ereshkigal, Zeus, Jupiter, Ra (?), and the other pantheons.

I edited it, because it was a dumb post.

I know. It's been posted before. But I think it held much truth.

[Power and Stability]

Umm, guys, you forget that the OP says that is "assuming God is real, and a Heaven and Hell exist"

[Greater Tezdrian]

Damn double post.

[Lyoneau]

God is merciful, so I guess so. Maybe he forgives them, unless they aren't a very good person and do something really bad and aren't truly sorry for it.

[New Manvir]

I concur.

Though one must remember, Gandhi was a paedo. But I think if your a good person, you'll be fine whatever happens.

So? He was a good person.

Or that's my Indian bias willing to overlook anything bad.

Source? I know he was married when he was like 13, but I've never heard of anything like that.

[Tipidemica]

Why would you want to live with a guy who attempted to kill off the entire human race by drowning them?

Satan must have gotten bored by now, so I think he would be funner to hang out with rather then an Almight god.

Although, in his defense, he did create us.

If you believe in the Bible or any other religion.

[Power and Stability]

Everyone is entitled to their beliefs, to each his own, etc. etc.

The belief that all non-Christians go to hell is just one of the most absurd things to me. Regardless of theistic beliefs or lack thereof, consider about one third of the world's current population is Christian. Even if you assume every single Christian is good and deserving of going to heaven, you're still left with ~66% of the world, over 4 billion people going to hell. And again, that's assuming every Christian is going to heaven, and not counting all the people that were on this earth before us.

Such an unfathomable number of people being condemned just seems ridiculous.

This^^

[Austin Setzer]

I honestly think politics is a waste of time. There is always problems with whatever party is in power. The american people thought President Bush would be a great president and we were wrong. We also though Obama would fix the economy but he has a 3 trillion dollar spending plan. Communism has completely lost its roots since they are NOT what karl Marx wanted. Just read the book Animal farm and you will understand

[New Amerik]

Heh, I just realized something!

Jesus said that the only way to get into Heaven was through him. Now, as we all know through cartoons and popular conceptions, Saint Peter waits at the Pearly Gates to let people into Heaven. And Jesus was a pretty liberal dude.

So...what if Heaven was like a night club? Once you die, you have to wait in line, and if Saint Peter (the bouncer) judges you ethically good enough, you get in. Doesn't matter what beliefs, you get in.

But Jesus is a rebel, man. He says that the only way into Heaven is through him. Yet it's Saint Peter (the bouncer) who decides who gets in and who doesn't. So how can Jesus say that the only way to Heaven is through him?

Well, maybe he meant to say that the only SURE route to Heaven is through him. While everyone else is waiting outside to be judged by the bouncer, everyone who believes in Jesus fully and utterly can bypass him and go through the back entrance. If anyone tries and stops them, Jesus can just say, "Nah, it's cool, my dad (Yaweh) runs this place."

So if you're Christian and you're down with Jesus, free pass in. Everyone else can get in, but they have to be ethically good enough to qualify.

.....which is still pretty depressing when you think about it.

[Geilinor]

Umm, guys, you forget that the OP says that is "assuming God is real, and a Heaven and Hell exist"

Then yes. All good people end up in heaven, and bad people end up in hell. Religion has nothing to do with it, in my opinion.

[New Kereptica]

I honestly think politics is a waste of time. There is always problems with whatever party is in power. The american people thought President Bush would be a great president and we were wrong. We also though Obama would fix the economy but he has a 3 trillion dollar spending plan. Communism has completely lost its roots since they are NOT what karl Marx wanted. Just read the book Animal farm and you will understand

I agree. Neither of them are going to heaven.

[Power and Stability]

Heh, I just realized something!

Jesus said that the only way to get into Heaven was through him. Now, as we all know through cartoons and popular conceptions, Saint Peter waits at the Pearly Gates to let people into Heaven. And Jesus was a pretty liberal dude.

So...what if Heaven was like a night club? Once you die, you have to wait in line, and if Saint Peter (the bouncer) judges you ethically (not morally( good enough, you get in. Doesn't matter what beliefs, you get in.

But Jesus is a rebel, man. He says that the only way into Heaven is through him. Yet it's Saint Peter (the bouncer) who decides who gets in and who doesn't. So how can Jesus say that the only way to Heaven is through him?

Well, maybe he meant to say that the only SURE route to Heaven is through him. While everyone else is waiting outside to be judged by the bouncer, everyone who believes in Jesus fully and utterly can bypass him and go through the back entrance. If anyone tries and stops them, Jesus can just say, "Nah, it's cool, my dad (Yaweh) runs this place."

So if you're Christian and you're down with Jesus, free pass in. Everyone else can get in, but they have to be ethically good enough to qualify.

.....which is still pretty depressing when you think about it.

Heaven is a nightclub?!

[Greater Tezdrian]

I honestly think politics is a waste of time. There is always problems with whatever party is in power. The american people thought President Bush would be a great president and we were wrong. We also though Obama would fix the economy but he has a 3 trillion dollar spending plan. Communism has completely lost its roots since they are NOT what karl Marx wanted. Just read the book Animal farm and you will understand

What the Hell? Pertinence please?

[Der Teutoniker]

I don't believe in heaven or hell sooooooo Ya there is no heaven to go too

Unfortunately for you, your disbelief in Hell does not make it's potential facutality less potential.

Example: 500 years ago, the sun revolved around the Earth. Simply because everyone believed that, did not make it in the least, true.

[Power and Stability]

Umm, guys, you forget that the OP says that is "assuming God is real, and a Heaven and Hell exist"

Then yes. All good people end up in heaven, and bad people end up in hell. Religion has nothing to do with it, in my opinion.

Then if that's true, was the bible lying?

[Xenohumanity]

Let me root around for that argument I used 2 seconds ago...
There we go.

It still doesn't make a lot of sense to allow so many people throughout the world to live their lives unaware of Christianity before the missionaries arrive if everyone is supposed to be Christian.

While having "The Facts" on Jeezuss is good, if you don't have enough of "The Facts" to be confident in your decision to follow him...
The Catechism says that if you live a virtuous life unaware of Jesus and his works, and if you haven't been taught sufficiently to see him as the truth, then you can go to Heaven without ever having heard the name Jesus.

Let me get my good ol' Catechism out...
Here we go.

1260: "Since Christ died for all, and since all men are in fact called to one and the same destiny, which is divine, we must hold that the Holy Spirit offers to all the possibility of being made partakers, in a way known to God, of the Paschal mystery."
1262: "Every man who is ignorant of the Gospel of Christ and of his Church, but seeks the truth and does the will of God in accordance with his understanding of it, can be saved. It may be supposed that such persons would have desired Baptism explicitly if they had known its necessity."

Meaning...
If you seek God in general, but don't have 'The Facts', you can go to Heaven based on your desire to serve the Deity in the best way possible, according to your knowledge of the matter.

[New Manvir]

Heh, I just realized something!

Jesus said that the only way to get into Heaven was through him. Now, as we all know through cartoons and popular conceptions, Saint Peter waits at the Pearly Gates to let people into Heaven. And Jesus was a pretty liberal dude.

So...what if Heaven was like a night club? Once you die, you have to wait in line, and if Saint Peter (the bouncer) judges you ethically good enough, you get in. Doesn't matter what beliefs, you get in.

But Jesus is a rebel, man. He says that the only way into Heaven is through him. Yet it's Saint Peter (the bouncer) who decides who gets in and who doesn't. So how can Jesus say that the only way to Heaven is through him?

Well, maybe he meant to say that the only SURE route to Heaven is through him. While everyone else is waiting outside to be judged by the bouncer, everyone who believes in Jesus fully and utterly can bypass him and go through the back entrance. If anyone tries and stops them, Jesus can just say, "Nah, it's cool, my dad (Yaweh) runs this place."

So if you're Christian and you're down with Jesus, free pass in. Everyone else can get in, but they have to be ethically good enough to qualify.

.....which is still pretty depressing when you think about it.

LOL. Christians running a nightclub. I'm sure it would be about as exciting as a library.

[HairyHares]

I don't know that I have an answer, not being an atheist But I have always looked forward to a nice place at the pearly gates or what ever is there to watch the show . I ought to be really interesting . I have the feeling that those who really think they will get in down here may be in for a surprise and so will some atheists and others who don't

[Power and Stability]

No.
a. Nothing can go to an imaginary place.

Remeber, it's assuming God is real, and a Heaven and Hell exist.

[New Kereptica]

If you seek God in general, but don't have 'The Facts', you can go to Heaven based on your desire to serve the Deity in the best way possible, according to your knowledge of the matter.

But you have to seek god? You can't just be a generally cool dude?

[Der Teutoniker]

OF COURSE YOU CAN'T GO TO HEAVEN IF YOUR ATIEST. YOU PEOPLE INSIST IT DOESN'T EVEN EXIST.

Caps lock: Cruise control for cool.

A similar situation to Gackle's false claim. 500 years ago, everyone knew that the sun revolved around the Earth. Simply because they knew that that was the way of the universe does not mean that during that period they were not subject to the physics that came about from the Earth revolving around the sun. Simply because athiests do not believe in Heaven does not necessarily (in itself) mean they can't go there, just as their desbelief does not make Heaven not exist. Rather the question is asking if they can go there while disbelieving, from a Christian theological standpoint.

[New Amerik]

Then yes. All good people end up in heaven, and bad people end up in hell. Religion has nothing to do with it, in my opinion.

Then if that's true, was the bible lying?

The Bible is old, and has been translated and rewritten many times. Look at modern Internet translators today, and the fact that even though God may have written the Bible, men still translated it, and tell me that the Bible today has the exact same messages as it did when it was first written.

[Hitchensland]

Hitler was Christian, yes. I'm not sure of his denomination.


It's not about your opinion. The Bible says otherwise. Sorry.

not everyone has the same believe, so back off, it was written by people that did not understand all of life's things, it cannot be taken 100% the story of Adam and Eve is a story an example, and I am proud to say that is my opinion.

Okay, and so how much of a percentage of it is true? By what criteria do you decide which parts of the Bible are literal, and which are merely metaphorical?

[Barringtonia]

I was a Baptist before I turned atheist, and in that denomination they teach you that once you are baptized you have a guaranteed entrance into heaven no matter what you do. I was baptized on the 4th of July.

Ha.

It's interesting to see how different denominations deal with the whole conundrum. Essentially, belief in Jesus - given God is all-knowing as to your belief - gets you into heaven. However, clearly that allows for sinning on a regular basis if one can't but help so therefore the concept of purgatory is introduced, meaning you're still punished despite Jesus dying for your sins.

That allows for quite some corruption, especially where the Church essentially forgives you to alleviate purgatory so in come the Protestants all the way down to Baptists I suppose - do Baptists believe in purgatory? Then there's Universalists and etc.,

All of it is just translating what's quite a clear message in order to either make it accord with maintaining power or making it acceptable in debate.

The entire thing with any religion is that where man interprets the likelihood of anyone being right is extremely low, so it all becomes a little pointless.

Personally I wouldn't trust anyone as to what I need to do to get into an entirely unprovable state of affairs.